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The incoming Stormers coach shares a few of his favourite pastimes and adventures away from the game.

FAVOURITE ALBUMS

DISINTEGRATION – THE CURE
‘Plainsong, Closedown and Pictures of You are all anthems. This is my favourite album of all time by a mile.’

STOP MAKING SENSE – TALKING HEADS
‘David Byrne in his big suit was a record I scratched and rebought three times. I still have the vinyl.’

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY – FATBOY SLIM
‘His real name is Norman Cook and he was unbelievably cool in the London Olympics opening ceremony.’

FAVOURITE BANDS

THE CURE
‘If it’s a dress-up party I will go as Robert Smith, with a wig and make-up!’

DEPECHE MODE
‘Their techno music helped change music and it’s remarkable that 37 years later they’re still together and at the sharp end.’

SPRINGBOK NUDE GIRLS
‘They evoke great memories of fun along the coast in the ’90s.’

FAVOURITE BOOKS

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG DOG – DYLAN THOMAS
‘I love “Under Milkwood” and the moving poem “And Death shall have no dominion”. He wrote about fighting against ageing and death, yet died at 39. He drank a lot of beer.’

BENNIE GRIESEL SERIES – DEON MEYER
‘Deon stands up internationally as a crime writer and has helped the genre grow so big in SA. He is a national treasure and a good ou.’

YEAR OF THE GHERKIN, YEAR OF THE TURNIP, YEAR OF THE BEETROOT – JOHN DOBSON
‘My own books! The first two are sold out, the third isn’t out yet.’

PEOPLE I’D LIKE TO MEET

STEPHEN FRY
‘A brain like that is awe-inspiring.’

ROBERT MUGABE
‘He has some explaining to do.’

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA
‘How can you not want to meet him?’

FAVOURITE CITIES VISITED

VERONA, ITALY
‘I played rugby there and visit as often as I can. It’s in Romeo and Juliet: “There is no world without Verona walls”.’

CHICAGO, USA
‘I did the marathon there. I didn’t enjoy the running, but it’s a vibrant city with a great vibe and fantastic watersports.’

LAMU ISLAND, KENYA
‘I had an unbelievable holiday there, with great windsurfing, sailing and culture. I just named a new dog after it.’

FAVOURITE SPORTING MOMENTS

2005 ASHES SERIES
‘I’m not English nor Australian, but that was a wonderful Test series.’

2008 VARSITY CUP FINAL
‘We didn’t win [UCT lost 16-10 to Maties], but it was the first year of the competition and fantastic to be a part of.’

1974 RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
‘The fact that this fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman took place in Zaire in the ’70s was extraordinary. It was a message to the western world and what a fight it was!’

FAVOURITE QUOTES

DYLAN THOMAS
‘Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.’

SAMUEL JOHNSON
‘Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.’

HENRY V (SHAKESPEARE)
‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers — for whoever sheds his blood with me today shall be my brother.’

BEST JOBS

COACHING WESTERN PROVINCE
‘I’ve always been a WP fan, and to be the team’s coach is an honour, privilege and responsibility.’

STARTING 365 DIGITAL PUBLISHING
‘Speed matters in publishing, and the web makes it easier to get content out to your audience.’

HOSTING KURT COBAIN
‘This when Nirvana played in Lisbon. It was eye opening, to say the least.’